Combined striking casting and front draft lug



Nov. 27, 1928.

c. M. HANNAFORD COMBINED smmme CASTING AND mom DRAFT we Filed June 1, 1925 m 2--- I J w W u w j I .ZZ/f M m m i 3 L g J r J ti" Z J M J 1 J 0 Patented Nov. 27, 1928.

1,693,295 PATENT OFFICE.

UNITED STATES" CLEON M. HANNAIOBD, OF RICHMOND, VIRGINIA, ASSIGNOR TO CAR DEVICES COM- PANY, OF RICHMOND, VIRGINIA, A CORPORATION OF VIRGINIA.

COMBINED STBIKIN'G CASTING AiND FRONT DRAFT LUG.

Application filed June 1,1925; Serial No, 34,046.

The object of this invention is to combine in one casting the striking-casting and the front draft lugs of the draft gear or draft rigging of railwayv cars, so that they may be placed and fastened in-position readily and economically.

While the invention is not restricted to any particular form or construction of striking-castings and front draft lugs, I have herein shown the striking-casting of usual form and construction, excepting that the front draft lugs are integrally combined with it, and I have also herein shown the lugs of the form and construction disclosed in the patent of Arthur H. Weston, No 1,551,353 granted August 25, 1925, for front draft lugs, excepting that they are cast solid with the striking-casting.

The invention consists in a one-piece casting comprising a striking-casting and one or both of the front draft lugs, and in combination therewith of center sill members having appropriate slots to receive and engage any ribs or projections extending from the lugs,

whereby the-striking-casting and the front draft lug or lugs are simultaneously positioned by an endwise sliding movement upon the webs of the center sill members, from the front, and one set of fasteners for 80 the combined parts is required, as I will proceed nowto explain and finally claim.

In .the accompanying drawings illustrating the invention, in the several figures of which like parts are similarly designated, Figure 1 is a horizontal sectional plan view of half of a draft arrangement taken on line 11, Fig. 2; Fig. 2 is a side elevation, with the end sill in cross section. plan view of the combined striking-casting 0 and front draft lugs, showing a pair of lugs made in one piece with the striking-casting. The members 1 of the center sill may be of the usual channel form, each having the upper flange 2, lower flange 3 and intervenin web 4; 5.. is a art of the usual vertical 0 e 6 is a part of the shank of the coupler; indicates the coupler key, 8 the draw-bar carrier, and 9 the front follower, all'of which parts may be of any 'usual or approved conr-n struotion.

The striking-casting 10 may be of any usual or approved construction, excepting that it has an inner wall 11 parallel with the usual outer wall 12, with a space 13 bees tween, which space forms a pocket to receive Fig. 3 is a top' made in accordance with the lug of the lVeston patent above mentioned, and as having the ribs 17 flanking the slot 15 and projecting outwardly through the slot 16 in the web of the center sill member, and also as having the rearward extension 18, which last tits in and fills up the inner end of the slot in the web of the center sill member.

Obviously if the striking-casting is vprovided with a pair of front draft lugs of the construction last described, and as shown in Fig. 3, having portions adapted to extend through the slots in the webs of the center sill members, then the said slots 16 in the said Webs would have to be. opened to the extreme outer ends of these center sill members, and they are so shown in Figs. 1 and'2. It follows, therefore, that whether the striking casting be made integral with one or both of the front draft lugs, the unit may be inserted in place between the center sill members by a lengthwise sliding movement, so that the webs of the center sill members extend into the pockets 13, and then the casting may be secured in place by the usual bolts or rivets 19, it being noted that only one set of such fasteners is required for the combined casting. Thus a minimum of fitting is required in the location and assembling of the striking-casting and the front draft lugs, and the assembling of these parts on the center sill members is simplified and expedited.

It will be noted that the parts are assembled from the front and by a movement 1 parallel with the length of the center sill members.

The longitudinal slots 15 in the draft lugs are so. arranged that when the draft gear has one solid in buff, the rear edge of the 106 coup er key 7 will come in contact with the metal at the rear edge of said slots and thereby limit the inward travel of the coupler key, and the rear extensions 18 0f the draft lugs are set in the sill slots 16, so that 110 the strains of bufiing are adequatel provided'for in conjunction with the fixe striking casting of which the draft-lugs are an integral part.

rear extensions engaged with the center sill slots, in combination with center sill members having longitudinal slots alinged with the slots in the lugs and of greater length.

2. Draft rigging for railway cars, including longitudinally slotted center sill members, a coupler key extending through said slots, and a combined striking castingand a pair of front draft lugs cast in one unitary- .piece, said lugs slotted longitudinally for the reception of the coupler key-and adapted to limit the inward" travel of the said key and said lugs having rearward extensions resting in the slots in the center sill members and abutting the inner ends of said slots.

3. In combination, center sills having.

open-ended longitudinal slots in the ends thereof, and a'member constituting a striking plate and front draft lugs extending between and secured to the center sills, the outer portion of said member bein pocketed to receive the ends of said center si s and the inner ends of said member constituting rearward extensions which have abutting. 'engagement with the end walls of the slots in' the center sills, said member being adapted for assembly with said: center sills as a unit and having inwardly projecting portionsconstituting follower stops and being provided with a pair of key slots registering with the slots in the center sills, the inner end walls of the slots in the member being enlarged to provide key bearing surfaces. 4. In combination with the center sills of a car, said sills having slots in the ends thereof, a member constituting a striking plate and front draft lugs extending between and secured to said sills, said striking plate having a draw bar carrier formed integrally therewith, the inner ends of said member constituting rearward extensions which have abutting engagement with the end walls of the inner ends of the slots in the centersills, the member being adapted for assembly with the center sills as a unit and having inwardly projecting. portions constituting follower stops and being provided with a pair of key slots registering with the slots in the center sills, the inner end walls of the slots in the member being enlarged to provide key bearing surfaces.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 29th'day of May, A, D. 1925.

QLEON M. HANNAFORD. 

